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Paulina Dam with the Gates Up
First Bridge East of Blairstown undergoing updating in 1940’s
Island Reservoir project. The line then passed to the NJ
DEP Green Acres in the late 1980’s-1990’s to become the
Paulinskill Valley Trail.
The basis of this article was from my book “The History of
the Blairstown Railway” printed by the Railroadians of
America in 1981 for which I own the copyright. I have
gathered and/or acquired additional information over the
last 30 years since the book was published.
Fred W. Heilich III is member #49 of the NTW&S T&HS.
He spent much time at the old family house in Paulina over
the years and remembers the daily NYS&W and L&NE
freights and that went past the house that was located 23
feet from the centerline of the ROW. During the summer
the 5 MU’d NYS&W engines would struggle up the grade
heading east out of Blairstown toward Marksboro with all
the long hood hatches open to stay cool. There was at least
one fantrip for the L&NE that he remembers going in each
direction with Reading equipment one summer day in the
late 50’s. Fred comes from a railroad family. He is a railroad
historian and has written several magazine articles,
contributed to several books on north Jersey railroads, and
wrote “The History of the Blairstown Railway”. He has
retired from a 40+ year career in aerospace industry, and
maintains a locomotive engineer’s license.
Westbound L&NE Freight in mid-1950’s
Eastbound LN&E Freight mid-1950’s
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